Don't Steal My Bike

Music: Evacuate the Dance Floor- Cascada
Mood: Freezing in the Mil-lab

Confession: I've become one of "those annoying bikers on campus." (And I LOVE it.)

I used to be so annoyed with the bikers on campus, zipping by, taking up the sidewalk, and sometimes making you feel like you're about to get run over. As a biker now, I totally understand the other side's perspective. I try to stay on the road and operate my "vechicle" according to the state's laws, but some times, the roads are one ways, and I need to go down a street via the sidewalk. I, unlike most bikers, do stop at stopsigns. And I do wear a helment.

On Monday, when I originally planned to write this post, I was originally going to get up at 7:30am to go for a jog. I didn't get up in time (after snoozing for like an hour) and finally got up at 8:30am. Instead of jogging because it got too hot, I decided to go to group cycling (spinning) class at the REC Sports Center at 10am. Living at 29th and Rio, I hopped on my bike and biked all the way down to the REC next to San Jac and locked my bike (with my U-lock) to the bike rack right outside of the gym. An hour later, after a good, intense spin session, I was all sweaty and was ready to bike back home to shower and take care of other things for the day. When I unlocked my bike, I found that the axel to my front wheel was loose and was removed from the frame. The only thing holding the wheel to the bike were the front brakes and the U-Lock. It took me a while before I was able to reattach my wheel to my bike before I could ride back home.

I seriously cannot believe someone tried to steal a part of my bike. Thank goodness for my U-Lock. UTPD recommends using 2 locks, a ULock and then a cable. I knew this, so I ordered my second lock on Amazon on Sunday, and it should be here by tomorrow. It's just ironic that in the meantime, someone actually tried to steal my bike. I'm lucky they didn't try to cut the lock and run off with my entire bike.

After that experience, I think I felt a bit violated. I LOVE UT and Austin and like to think that the area is pretty safe. I've read about the crime that happens on Campus Watch an occasionally read about the bike thefts, but I didn't actually think it would happen to me. I was gone an hour and at 10 in the morning. The thought of someone actually touching my property and trying to take something that isn't theirs just feels so wrong and foreign to me. I'm not overreacting or trying to make a big deal out of it, but I think this incident made me realize how harsh and mean the real world can be, outside of our imaginary UT bubble.

I'll have an update about recruiting and other events of this week later.